BIC

I bought a pen when I was on Colonsay the other week.

The ones I’d taken with me both ran dry. I couldn’t tell you the last time I bought one. The house is full of pens collected at meetings or seminars, or wherever.

One day I realised I’ve been using pens just like it all of my life. I’ll have used a BIC at high school - maybe even at primary. Or did we have to use pencils at that age?

I made a mental note to check out the product when I got back home (my apartment on the island had no internet access or mobile phone signal).  Turns out it dates back to 1950. It's older than me!

A Hungarian (László Biró) had already invented the ballpoint pen. Frenchmen Marcel Bich and Édouard Buffard brought the BIC brand and their Cristal pen to the world by improving on Biró’s original design.

Exciting stuff, eh.

Apart from that... my weight is down to 86kg (from 94.5kg in March). When I went back to Scotland from Toulouse aged 20 my weight was 85kg. I was a couple of kilos overweight then after 6 weeks without any exercise - I’d broken my wrist playing rugby and in those days a plaster cast was the only outcome. However, I’m comfortable with my weight so close to what it was 40+ years ago.

The day’s other good news is that I have a solution to my car problem. The lease company agreed to me keeping it for a 3rd year and it will cost me £11 (+vat) per month less than I’m paying now!

I’m on a roll, folks. Hold onto your hats and lock up your daughters...